Super Bowl Commercials Rely on Humor and Nostalgia to Steer Clear of Potential Controversy

Super Bowl Commercials Rely on Humor and Nostalgia to Steer Clear of Potential Controversy

This year’s Super Bowl commercials are heavily leaning on comedy, with advertisers betting that a good laugh is just what America needs. As the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs face off in New Orleans, a series of light-hearted ads will take over the airwaves. While many companies released their ads online early, some kept their campaigns under wraps for a bit of surprise.

Humor is the dominant theme in the ads we've seen so far. WeatherTech features four elderly women on a joyride, while Eugene Levy’s eyebrows take flight after he eats Little Caesars pizza. Coors Light showcases sloths with the Monday blues, and Nestlé Coffee Mate has a man’s tongue dancing to celebrate cold foam. British singer Seal transforms into a sad seal unable to hold Mountain Dew with his flippers.

There’s also a quirky take on Goldilocks by actor Glenn Powell for Ram Trucks, while comedian Nate Bargatze clones himself and hires an opera singer after saving money with DoorDash. Shaboozey strolls through New Orleans for Nerds, and the “Fast & Furious” stars cruise slowly in a convertible to savor Häagen-Dazs ice cream bars.

Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, noted that this is a complex year for advertisers. Many of these ads were conceived during the U.S. presidential election, making it more important than ever to avoid controversy. As a result, most commercials focus on simple humor, nostalgia, and safe creative choices. While this approach avoids risk, Calkins pointed out that safe ads can easily fade into the background.

“Safe advertising doesn’t get noticed or remembered,” Calkins said. “The challenge is balancing safety with interest.”

With ad spots costing up to a record $8 million for just 30 seconds, standing out is more critical than ever.

Thematic Trends in This Year's Super Bowl Ads:

Heartwarming Nostalgia:
Budweiser revives its iconic Clydesdales, featuring a foal eager to join the delivery team. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal recreate their famous scene from When Harry Met Sally, but now Sally is praising Hellmann's mayonnaise. The Muppets search for accommodations with Booking.com, and an Instacart ad showcases beloved mascots like Mr. Clean, the Jolly Green Giant, and the Pillsbury Doughboy. Disney asks what the world would be without its iconic characters like Elsa, Bart Simpson, and the Marvel superheroes.

Kimberly Whitler, a marketing professor at the University of Virginia, said nostalgia is increasingly popular in Super Bowl ads, helping brands connect with multiple generations and tie their products to positive cultural moments.

Celebrity Pairings:
Celebrity mashups are also common, bringing together unexpected pairings to expand the appeal of ads. Michelob Ultra features Catherine O'Hara and Willem Dafoe as pickleball champions, while David Beckham and Matt Damon play long-lost twins bonding over Stella Artois. Gordon Ramsay and Pete Davidson team up for HexClad, and Post Malone, Shane Gillis, and Peyton Manning host a block party for Bud Light. A star-studded Uber Eats ad includes Matthew McConaughey, Martha Stewart, Greta Gerwig, and Charlie XCX.

Linli Xu, a marketing professor at the University of Minnesota, noted that while celebrity endorsements can spark conversation, with so many brands using celebrities, their impact may be diluted, and viewers might forget which brand the celebrity is promoting.

Serious Messages:
Not all of this year’s ads are purely fun. Novartis encourages women to get early breast cancer detection, and Dove highlights the struggles of young girls quitting sports due to body image criticism. Hims & Hers addresses America’s obesity epidemic. The nonprofit Come Near, part of the He Gets Us campaign, features Johnny Cash’s cover of "Personal Jesus" and shows everyday people performing kind acts. The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, founded by Robert Kraft, airs a stark ad featuring Snoop Dogg and Tom Brady discussing what they dislike about each other to highlight the futility of hate.

Xu noted that while there were expectations for more unity-driven ads, humor still dominated. "People might be looking for more togetherness after such a divisive election year," she said.

AI in the Spotlight:
Several Super Bowl ads also showcase artificial intelligence. Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth, and Kris Jenner promote Meta’s smart glasses, which use AI to answer questions about what wearers are seeing. Walton Goggins pitches GoDaddy Airo, which helps build websites using AI. Google’s “50 States, 50 Stories” campaign highlights a small business in each state using Google’s Gemini AI assistant. Meanwhile, Cirkul, a water bottle brand, humorously pokes fun at AI, showing comedian Adam Devine accidentally ordering 100,000 bottles through his phone’s AI assistant.

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